COMMUNITY NEWS
From Devon to Ukraine On 23 March, seven West Devon residents set off with four vans and a trailer loaded with donations for the people of Ukraine - including medications, long-life food, personal hygiene products and supplies for babies. Princetown and Horrabridge residents, Zuzana Hlincikova, Neil Francis, Marcus Allen, Madison David, Jan Hayes, Richard Staniland and John Rogers travelled for 65 hours to complete the 2866-mile round trip to Lviv. When war broke out in Ukraine, Zuzana was visiting her family in the Czech Republic and immediately wanted to do something to help the Ukranian people. She launched an appeal at Princetown Pre-school where she works, then other local residents got involved and the project snowballed into the idea of a convoy team taking the donations out to Poland. They made contact with Anna Vynnyk, the co-ordinator of Volonter Liga, a Lviv charity working to help Ukrainians affected by the war, and she sent lists of required items. Donations of supplies and money flooded in from local residents and businesses, and there were also a number of fundraising events such as a charity Zumba organised by Janine Hodge. Marcus’s partner Toni helped to organise fundraising and every day they
came home more donations had been left outside their house. The journey to Ukraine was not without its challenges, as the group only got a few hours’ sleep on the way there and experienced difficulties at the border to Ukraine, until a Polish man intervened on their behalf. They then only had a few hours to reach Lviv, drop off the goods and get back to Poland before the curfew came into force. Their memories of Lviv are made up of sand bunkers, tank traps, young soldiers trying to keep warm and people attempting to get on with their lives as news filtered in of more bombings in cities where loved ones had stayed behind. The team crossed back into Poland shortly before the curfew, and when they checked into a hotel at 10pm they were overwhelmed with the welcome, as well as homemade soup and home-brewed beer. They even managed to find a mechanic to replace a brake pad on a Sunday!
As long as they continue to receive sponsorship and donations, the group intends to keep transporting them to Ukraine. You can follow their progress at Facebook: UKkyi Bear. Devon to Ukraine, and find out what supplies are required or donate via the link to the crowdfunder at justgiving.com - Princetown#Devo n#Ukraine#NeedYourHelp. Drop-off points include Morrisons, Travis Perkins and Ron’s Pets in Tavistock, The Game Larder, Drake Vets and The Rock Inn in Yelverton, The Burrator Inn in Dousland, The White Thorn Inn in Shaugh Prior, The Prince of Wales in Princetown. Join Mad Dog Mcrea & Tom Baker on Friday 17 June from 6:30pm in aid of the Ukraine appeal at Higher Bughill Farm, Shaugh Prior, PL7 5EW. Tickets on eventbrite.co.uk - 331684265567 or call 07387 152125.
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